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A national language is a Language (or Language Variant , i.e. Dialect ) which uniquely represents the National Identity of a Nation and/or Country . A national language is used for Political and Legal Discourse and so designated by a Country 's Government . Some countries have more than one national language, such as Canada which uses both French and English. A national language is not to be confused with the predominant language, which is spoken by the majority of people from within a country's borders. OFFICIAL VERSUS NATIONAL LANGUAGES The national languages of Stateless Nation s are often not official languages in any country. Some have no government recognition, while others may enjoy a high degree of official recognition. Some examples of national languages that are not official languages include Aromanian , Cherokee , and Navajo (and other living Native American Languages ). Certain languages may enjoy government recognition or even status as Official Languages in some countries while not in others. EXAMPLES China See also: Standard Mandarin and History Of Standard Mandarin . In . Elements from other dialects continue to exist in the standard language. After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the Communist People's Republic Of China was established. The Nationalist regime of the Republic Of China retreated to the island of Taiwan and maintained the same policy. On the other hand, the People's Republic of China, which administers Mainland China , continued the effort, and renamed the national language that is largely based on the Beijing dialect as "普通話" (Pinyin: pǔtōnghuà, ''lit.'' ordinary speech) in Chinese. Ireland A Celtic language Irish Gaelic is recognized as the national and also as one of the two official languages of Ireland , and is spoken by about only 5% of its population as a first language and another 10% understand it. Malta In Malta , the Maltese Language is the national language. This is recognised as official as well together with English. In Malta most of the people speak the Maltese language and it is recognised as "national" in Chapter 1 of the Laws Of Malta . Philippines A Filipino Language which is based on Tagalog and other exixting Philippine Languages , is according to the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines recognized as an official language (English is also recognized). More than 170 languages are spoken in the Philippines and almost all of them belong to the Western Malayo-Polynesian language group of the Austronesian language family. Singapore In Singapore , the Malay Language is the national and official language, since it is the first language of the Malays who are the orignal inhabitants of the land but who are now a minority due to mass ethnic Chinese migration and now make up only 12.4% of the total population of 4.24 million. Three other languages enjoy official status, including English , which is the language of business and governance and the medium of instruction in national schools; Mandarin Chinese , which is spoken by the majority (75%) of the population, and Tamil (some 10%). SEE ALSO |
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